The Green Velvet Armchair
Counselling for people living in larger bodies and/or struggling with compulsive overeating
Hello, my name is Cathy North, counsellor and psychotherapist. I’d like to welcome you to The Green Velvet Armchair, a safe, non-judgmental online space where you can talk openly about your experience of living in a larger body and/or compulsive overeating, and how this impacts your mental health. Together we can work to help you heal, find a sense of peace, and thrive.
About Counselling at The Green Velvet Armchair
Living in a larger body
Living in a larger body can be challenging in a culture where slimness is valued and diet culture is pervasive. Stigma and discrimination can impact our mental health, leading to low self-worth, harsh self-talk, depression, stress, anxiety, isolation, shame and rejection of our own bodies. Our size can become a defining feature of our lives, overshadowing other parts of our identity.
On a practical level, a larger body can impact freedom of movement, restrict participation in some activities and make it difficult to feel comfortable in a world designed for an “average” size.
The Green Velvet Armchair offers a safe place in which to talk about the realities of living in a larger body, both physical and psychological – topics that can be taboo amongst friends and family. Together we can work on restoring your self-worth, establishing a caring relationship with your body and moving towards a richer, more empowered and connected life.
Struggling with compulsive overeating
For some of us, living in a larger body is a reflection of the wonderful diversity of humanity - each of us is born with a blueprint for our individual size and shape. Others may have arrived at their current size due to issues with compulsive or binge eating. Whichever applies to you, you are welcome here.
If you’re in a pattern of compulsive overeating we can gently explore the thoughts and emotions that drive the urge to overeat, and their origins. We can then work towards healing and finding alternative ways of coping.
The Green Velvet Armchair is not a diet or weight loss service. Instead we focus on the underlying psychological and emotional aspects of compulsive overeating.
Why The Green Velvet Armchair?
To me it is a metaphor for a safe, warm, welcoming, encompassing and comfortable place where a person can relax and be themselves. There is also a sense of richness and depth from the deep green luxuriousness of the fabric. And, in essence, that’s what I’m hoping you will experience in counselling with me - a place of safety and welcome where you can delve deeper into what needs bringing out into the open to be healed.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re interested in counselling at The Green Velvet Armchair I’d love to hear from you.
Contact me for a quick introductory chat and we can go from there.